Woodbadge position requirement

[bigbovine]

First some history. I have 4 boys. We just started scouts last year. 2 are now in Boy scouts, 1 is WEB 2 and the other will not start Kindergarten till next year. I am currntly on the Troop Committee and for the Pack I am Either a WEB Asst or a WEB Leader(Not sure if they have changed me on the Pack yet). The Troop Scout Master wants me to be Asst Scout Master(This I am working on, need my OLS), and the Pack CM wants me to be one of two ACM(This I am not sure of). Either way, it was suggested that I also take WB. So, Do I have to be a CM, ACM, SM, or ASM to take the coarse or does Troop Commitee member or Web Den Leader or Asst. qualify. The WB requirement says Leader, and I wasn't sure if that is what they meant.

[nolesrule]

Any registered scouter can take Wood Badge. The only requirement is that they are fully trained for their position.

 

If you are in more than one registered position, you'll be asked to pick which position to be the focus of your ticket. Or at least we were when I took it.

[artjrk]

The thing to consider for Woodbadge is what position you are going to concentrate on during the course. You will be performing 5 tickets which will be related to that leadership position. I do not believe you can split them up between duties for the Pack and the Troop. The information you will learn will apply to both though. Den Leader, Committee Member, ASM and ACM are all viable positions for WB.

 

Just a word of advice, be careful to not over commit yourself though.

[bigbovine]

I am fully trained for all positions mentioned( Except for ASM for which I am currently looking into getting my OLS training). My main focus will be in the Troop, More need there. The main reason for staying in the Pack is two fold,.

1: Son that may eneter in a few years

2: (and what seems more important to me) Retaining future position in the Pack Committee with or without my children in said Pack.

For this reason, overcommitment I am well aware of avoiding.

Please tell me one more thing. Do or would you consider it wrong to still serve on the Pack Committee in this situation. I have heard things said about people who do this( By some in this Pack) as not being able to relinquish control. But I have seen problems arise because people are only interested in their children, and once they are out they leave. I was thinking by being there over the years, one could help others in avoiding problems in recharter and other things as Cub masters come and go. That is my main goal for the Pack.

[moosetracker]

If you want to focus on the troop, then get that last piece of training you need for it completed.

 

ACM may not be too bad, it is more a once a month, (maybe 2 if they have an event). Rather then once a week as the Den Leader position is.

 

But possibly easier for you, and more benificial to both Troop & Pack may be to be the Represenative between the Troop & the Pack, organizing co-Events, ensuring the webelos are transitioning and becoming prepared to take on the challenges of moving to a troop..

 

I would suggest the Pack Trainer, but the leaders needing the most guidence will be your Tigers, and sounds like your other two sons were never Tigers..

[BDPT00]

I'd be careful accepting advice here (including mine). Much of what is heard regarding Wood Badge is based purely upon one's own perception. Examples: You won't have 5 tickets ... it's one ticket. You need to be trained for your position to take Wood Badge, but your ticket can have several different focuses. They aren't restricted to one position. It's your ticket ... do with it what you wish. If people tell you you should or should not be registered in certain positions, that's personal opinion based upon their own experience, but more likely based upon conjecture.

The only advice I'd recommend that you pay attention to from what's been suggested so far is to not overcommit. Don't try to do it all yourself. Choose what you're good at or what you'd enjoy. Do it well, and have fun. There's plenty to do, and you've got lots of time.

Thanks for volunteering and for considering Wood Badge. It's a fun ride.

BDPT00

[bigbovine]

The ACM is more coming from the now CM, I am not really interested in it.

 

"But possibly easier for you, and more benificial to both Troop & Pack may be to be the Represenative between the Troop & the Pack, organizing co-Events, ensuring the webelos are transitioning and becoming prepared to take on the challenges of moving to a troop.."

 

This is my main interest to be honest, I just wasn't sure how to put it. The three boys just started as Webelos. Given that situation I was having to go on what others were saying as far as transition to Troop. I thought there was really only 2 Troops in which to move into without having to make a significant drive. I was constantly told how bad one was and how good the other was. After visiting both, I decided that there was just a clash of personalities that motivated the "Talk" about the "bad" Troop. However, the boys still were not sure where to go. Then out of the blue, A third Troop comes into the picture. One of the boys in the WEB1 group had a brother in it, and they asked to come visit the Den meeting. We then visited with them and the rest was History. They no longer dreaded making a choice, they hit it right off the bat. After talking with the SM, I found that the pack was started as a "feeder" when his kids had started but somehow they couldn't get any interaction with the then current CM as the years went by. Size was going down fast, because they were aging out. That is when I started looking into staying with the Pack in the way of the Committee after my kids had left for the sole purpose of what was said in the above qoute. I want to be sure that future Webelos are givin the oportunity to find the Troop they belong to, not the troop that the ones in control want the other kids to go to ( To ensure a big Troop for their kids.). It just seems best all the way around to have all Troops represented. And, by being there in the future it will help keep someone from just "droping the Ball" their last few months in the pack, just because their kid is transitioning out.

 

 

[Eagle92]

I know that my 3 bead friend was a CM when he went through WB21C, and one or two of his ticket items related to Venturing. And make sure you complete ALL of the training needed for whatever position you register in. If he would have registered for WB21C as an ASM, he would have needed IOLS. But since he was a CM, that wasn't needed.

[moosetracker]

I am just not sure about tickets anymore, seems every year they keep changing the thing.

 

1) When my husband went through he was only troop, but one of his ticket items was to help with a district training, that was acceptable.

2) When I went through a year later, I could only do tickets related to the troop.

3) Sometime later they added something called an umbrella, all your ticket items had to relate to some common thing.

4) My son just went through it, and now added to it is this 360 form..

 

So I was still of the assumption if you were in Pack & Troop you could do tickets for either, but not outside what you were involved with. But, if someone says something else, I am not surprised by it anymore.. Yet I do know someone from my sons patrol was in Cubs, and had a ticket item to start up a Venturing Crew..

 

Anyway, just keep an open mind about the structuring of those ticket items. To me they seem like a moving target.

 

[ScouterAdam]

I am on Staff for the Spring Course that starts at the end of April as a Troopguide. This will be my first time as TG. That being said:

 

1)It seems that every Course has similar but a tad different ideas about a Ticket.

2)A Ticket has 5 seperate things to accomplish.

3)Requirements of a ticket: Mine had to incorporate a religious one. I picked a Native American one. It ended up being a NA Flute, which then turned into performing an AOL/Crossover Ceremony. (The OA couldn't come, so my TG who was doing the NA Flute Demo whipped one up)

4)It was highly suggested this year by the VP of Training for the Council who came by that Training be a part of their ticket. He could not demand it, but highly suggested it.

 

Other comments:

Taking on the role of WDL/ ACM and on the Committee for both Troop & Pack, I am not sure if you actually have a day job. You can be on the committee as the FOS Chair and still go to Wood Badge. Your position really does not matter. Fully trained is everything except BALOO/OWLS/ITOLS trained. Next year in 2012, all top leaders need to be OWLS/ITOLS trained. IE CM/SM.

 

I would really look at what you want to be doing for your boys. Since two boys are in Boyscouts, one is currently in WII and in Boyscout's next year it would seem that Pack Committee would be just fine. You have another year before you have a Tiger. Once he joins, become the Tiger Den Leader and drop as Committee Memeber. Be on the Troop Committee. Become a Merit Badge Counsoler. Being an ASM means 3 meetings a month and outings. You have a simular agenda coming up as Tiger Den Leader. That's 6 meetings a month not counting Roundtable, Pow-wow, other Trainings, Committee Meetings. Which, if you did count, that's 9 meetings.

 

This is coming from a Tiger Den Leader (twice) and now as a Cubmaster for two years. Do not overload yourself. You will implode as well as your wife.

 

If you go to Woodbadge, and I hope you do, go as a Committee Member. You can affect both Units in a positive way. You can work on the Webelos to Boy Scout transition. Create a Den Chief Program within your Pack/Troop. You can work on Camp/Cuboree meetings within your District....work on native american/OA activity within the Pack. Create a Pack Overnight Program. If you set up these traditions now, they will be fully functioning for your upcoming Tiger. Plus his brothers will have a chance to get into the OA and be a Den Chief. This all affects how both units work together.

 

As to the training side: Take BALOO/OWLS/ITOLS and anyother training your Council/District provides. You will only know more about Scouting and will be able to help more than just your Unit.

 

YIS

[jhankins]

I've seen this many times before. Don't put the cart before the horse.

 

Wood Badge isn't just about the ticket, it's about defining a goal for yourself and your time in scouting. You're modeling something during your time finishing your ticket-- setting steps to complete a goal. The five items you select are things that will help you accomplish your vision.

 

Attend Wood Badge as whatever position you see benefiting the boys the most, and then go from there. Your own personal vision can then be shaped based upon what you learn and experience during your Gilwell journey.

 

Remember, your ticket is just that, your ticket. If they help you accomplish your vision for yourself in scouting, then more power to you, and see you back at Gilwell.

 

 

 

[bigbovine]

Great info. All training for positions is complete. What I do not have is OWLS or OLS but do have BALOO. I want to focus more on the Troop because I beleive that the SM may have Overcommited over the years and he needs the help/break an ASM would give. I really enjoy working with kids( We do Foster care and Respit care for a private agency). I just want to make sure there is a relationship in the future with "all" Troops with the Pack ( There is actually 4 within the emmediate area). I also do not want what happened this year with the Pack almost loosing Charter (That is the reason for wanting to stay on Committee in the Pack for the future). As far as time is concerned, I have no problem going to the once a weeks with the Troop and the camping along with the once a month Pack Committee. Thanks again for the info, and I may take the suggestion as being a Rep between the two groups.

[Twocubdad]

Talk with the Course Director for the course you're interested in taking. Unless someone here is currently staffing a course, no one really know's what is in this year's syllabus unless they've been through staff development.

 

The Wood Badge syllabus gets tweaked every year. And the thing which seems to change most is exactly this issue regarding registered positions and ticket focus.

 

When I was a participant I had one foot in the pack and one foot in the troop and served on district committee. I was allowed to write my ticket with different goals for each. There was some abuse to that so a year later the rules were changed. For folks with multiple registrations you had to "declare" under which position you were taking Wood Badge. All five parts of your ticket had to relate to that goal. My understanding that was relaxed a bit the following year.

[Crew21_Adv]

bigbovine,

 

Greetings!

 

I hope you do attend WB21C and enhance the Scouting trail for your own boys as well as the boys in your Pack & Troop.

 

You have already received excellent advice about position requirements for WB21C and also a few comments about remaining in the Pack. So if I may make a few comments about other concerns.

 

I would recommend before you attend. Do your own assessment of their programs. Maybe you can see where a need may occur. Possibly review the Den Leader and Cub Scout Handbooks as well as the SM and Troop Committee handbooks to read how a complete program may be demonstrated.

 

Does the Troop camp once a year, or do they camp 12 times a year. Do they have a COH once a year, or approximately every quarter. Do they hold monthly PLC meetings. Does the Committee and parents communicate. Are meetings just merit badge meetings with the SM: or do they introduce a merit badge while covering a range of topics. Are they using seven parts to a meeting plan.

 

Also, for the Pack. Is there a Summer Time Activity program. Do Den Leaders receive training from Roundtable or at least a Roundtable representative. Since Cub Scout rank is once a year, do the Cub Scouts earn all the academic and sports belt loops during their Tiger year, or do they earn approximately a belt loop a month. Do they use the appropriate paperwork or recreate the wheel every month.

 

Many random questions. But can you find a few areas, where you can enhance your Pack and Troop programs or committees?

 

Back to your question about remaining with the Pack. "Do or would you consider it wrong to still serve on the Pack Committee in this situation." Forum members can appreciate your sincerity that you desire to assist the Pack and Troop succeed. Eventually, you will have to "cut the apron strings" and allow the Pack Committee to make choices on the own. Some immediate parents in the Dens and on the Pack Committee may question, why you want to remain with a Pack, and what is your motivation. On the forum we may applaud your choices, but in reality of a home town, neighbors and friends may dislike your choices. And those are the neighbors and friends you have to live with.

 

It sounds like you have concerns and want to provide wisdom and advice to the Cub Scout Pack Committee from a Boy Scout parents/Boy Scout Leaders perspective.

 

My own personal advice. Depending on current relationship and if you qualify, possibly your Chartering Organization may be looking for a new motivated COR. Also, your District Commissioner may be looking for a Unit Commissioner for the pack. Both of these positions would provide excellent advice and sometimes some steerage to keep an okay Scout unit, on the path to becoming a great Scouting unit. Specifically as a COR, you would be heard in program decisions, when you needed to be heard.

 

Good Luck with WB21C and I hope both the Pack and Troop benefit!

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

[jhankins]

Something I'm asking participants to do this year is to at their units' scorecards for the JTE and see if that sparks any ideas for a ticket item. If someone is looking for something to improve, it's a good place to start. Not everyone will find something that way, but it gets the proverbial wheels turning.